The First Hunt
by Heather Giesbrecht
Summary: Neo goes on his first hunt with Dean. Three-shot. Complete.
1. The First Hunt

**The First Hunt**

Neo looked around for Dean Winchester, his hunting partner. Instead, he only saw the scattered Agents watching him from the copper-top crowded side-walk. Well, since the Human-Machine War was at a stand-still and he'd needed something to do. In the last months he'd watched Dean and his little brother Sam hunt. It looked more interesting than being cooped up in Zion. You had to live in the Matrix, sure, but it was as dangerous in the Real-world. If not more because you couldn't leave, except for a few days a month. He couldn't believe the Agents had actually let him become a Hunter.

Smiled and said "Hey, Dean." as his brown-haired and green-eyed friend walked up. Dean was wearing a brown-leather jacket, dark-gray shirt and the pendant from Sam, along with a pair of jeans. How he wished they could be more than just friends.

His heart-beats sped up as the man hugged him and whispered "Hey, Neo." God, he loved hearing Dean say his actual name. Before he'd been freed a year ago when they'd met Dean'd always called him Tom. Ever since Dean's dad, John Winchester, had saved him from being turned into a vampire as a kid he'd wanted to help them. They hadn't let him because it was "too dangerous", he knew the real reason now. He hadn't been freed, so the 'supernatural' programs would have probably slaughtered him.

As they moved apart, his vision flashed into the Matrix's code and he saw the Agents walk away. Followed the slightly younger man down the street to the black Impala. Laughed as Dean patted the mirror and said "See, baby, finally someone who can appreciate you. Unlike Sammy."

Got into the 'Imp' as he called it, on the passenger. Winced as once again it shocked him, whenever he got in it liked to do that, hence the nick-name. Asked "So, we're hunting vampires right ?."

Dean pulled out into the traffic before he answered "Yep. You remember what you learned ?."

Neo repeated the list he'd remembered the old-fashioned way, "Enough dead man's blood can slow their code down simulating paralysis. 'Sun-light' can irritate them but it won't kill them. Only decapitating a vamp will delete it. They like to sleep in the day cause their programming runs better at night. They can smell us from a distance if their awake, so we need to surprise them."

Grinned as Dean smiled "Better than Sammy his first time. He forgot the sun won't kill them. Figured I'd scout out the nest too, a few days before you got here."

He nodded and questioned "Find anyone we need to save ?."

"A black-haired woman, she's chained up but they haven't drunk from her yet. I think your gonna have to break it. Cause I looked and couldn't find the key. "

'At least, since I'm the One and stronger than the other Rebels, like Dean. I'll finally be some use against more than just Agents, or Smith.'

Shivered as he thought of the 'lead' Agent's cold blue-eyes. Pushed the thoughts that came with them away, Smith would have had to 'approve', his request to become a Hunter, for the System.

"I can do that. They'll probably be waiting for us won't they ?."

"I don't know, might be. Let's hope not."

The city slowly faded from high-rise buildings to suburbs and into open country.


	2. Fight

**Fight**

A few hours later they stopped at a diner on the high-way by their hunting area. Neo glanced around as he and Dean walked in, it looked neat and clean. The walls were cream-colored and the ceiling was silver, he followed the more experienced hunter over to a booth.

A dark-blond waitress approached the table, she smiled looking at Dean "Well, hello again you. Coffee ?."

"Yeah, sure. Hmm, Tom what'dya want ? I'll pay."

He startled as the woman glared at him, then said " Same, please." Sighed in relief as the woman walked away to get their coffees' and muttered to Dean "What's her problem ?"

"She thinks I'll go out with her if she serves me enough. Usually, I'd take her up on it, but we're on a job now. It's a few miles out yet, but we're close to it."

The first hunt it was, it just happened to be with Dean. He took a deep breath and hoped he won't manage to screw it up.

Dean reached over to shake his shoulder "Man, you'll be fine, you've got me to help ya out remember."

Smiled in relief and then lunch flew by until he and Dean were standing in front of the 'Imp's open trunk. The months younger Hunter handed him a machete and Neo looked up at the old barn in front of them. More then likely the vampires were in there, waiting for them. Dean would help him when he needed it. Both Hunters sneak into the barn, avoiding all the fallen debris that was an obvious warning system.

His vision flickered into code and he saw three male vampires asleep in the shadows. One had dark-brown hair, second had black-hair and the third was blond. The black-haired woman Dean had seen days earlier was chained in the center to a pole. She was covered in bite-marks and he shuddered, remembering how close it had come to being him years ago. He walked into the center of the barn, up to the woman. She looked up at him and opened her mouth, he interrupted her with a whisper of "Ssh."

The woman nodded and he crept around her to grab the back of the chain. It took him two tries to snap it and then, of course, she tripped and the chain rattled. Vampires leapt up with a hiss from the shadows, he turned and focused. Everything slowed down, the vamp leaping at him had dark-brown hair. Slashed at the vamp with the machete, who twisted to the side to avoid him. Pain slammed into his back and he fell on the floor, focus shattered.

He rolled over and swung the sword into the vamp's legs. It cut through and the vamp fell, he jumped up to decapitate the vamp. Turned to see Dean trying to fight two vamps at once. The woman was still laid out on the ground, whether she was conscious or not he needed to help Dean. Focused again, he leapt over half the barn towards them. Heard the woman's scream as he landed and hacked at the blond vamp's arm. The arm fell to the floor and he backed away so Dean could kill the vampire.

Suddenly, he was being slammed into the far wall. The pissed off vamp's teeth were inches from his throat. Kicked at the vampire as it started to choke him. Darkness flooded the edges of his vision, suddenly he landed hard on the floor and blacked out. Maybe a second later, he opened his eyes to see that not only Dean but also Smith loomed over him.


	3. Heal

**Heal**

Neo blinked up at the two brown-haired men, pain flared through his throat and back. It hurt for him to breath, Dean's green eyes were concerned and Smith's blue eyes were indifferent. Dean pulled him up gently, "Neo, man. You're bleeding a lot from your back."

That explained why his vision was all blurred and dark. Why he felt like he'd fall over if the man let go of him. Even weaker than he normally did around Dean.

He mumbled, looking at Smith "What're you ?"

The Agent answered " I felt compelled to 'check up' on you when she screamed. It is good that I did or you would be dead. Considering the circumstances, I did not want to risk being blamed for your death."

"Thought you wanted me dead."

Smith stared at him and Dean ran a hand through his hair. "You're not making much sense. C'mon let's get you to the car. Apparently, blue-eyes can heal your injuries."

Stumbled, even with the slightly younger man's arm around his shoulders. Half-laughed at the disbelieving look on Smith's face at Dean's nick-name. The Agent followed them out of the barn to the Impala. Darkness clouded his vision again as pain overwhelmed him. He felt himself fall on the ground but he could still hear them talking.

Felt a brief touch on his shoulder as Dean asked "Neo ?, Neo ?. "

Smith's darker voice "Stop trying to wake him. Do you want me to hurt him ?. That is what will most likely happen if I try to heal him and he is awake to feel it."

"Oh. Well, I'm still watching you. I don't trust you, Smith."

"I never said that you had to. He may still feel it, but he will not be able to hurt himself. "

More pain lashed through his back and heard himself groan softly at it. A hand ran through his hair again, Dean muttered "Shh, it's all right, Neo. You're gonna be o.k. Next time we see a vamp they won't stand a chance. "

The pain in his back faded, then something warm touched his throat softly. Finally he could force his eyes open again. The 'Imp's darkened back-seat and Dean greeted him "How ya feeling ?."

Neo coughed briefly before he replied "Better.". Turned his head to thank Smith, only to see the black-haired woman stared in confusion at them. Realized that his shirt was gone and he'd left his spare clothes in his hotel room. Dean shrugged "Don't worry about it, you can borrow one of mine."

He pushed himself up, surprised that it didn't hurt. As the brown-haired man disappeared from his sight. The back passenger-door opened, Dean took out a dark-blue shirt from a smaller bag and threw it over the seat to him. Caught it and pulled it over his head. Neo thought to himself, _'Dear God Smith has been acting weird.'_

Dean managed to charm the woman to sit in the back-seat. Before he walked back into the barn to get the machete, the vampires' bodies had already dissolved back into the Matrix's own code. He walked to the trunk and after wiping off the blade, he opened the weapons compartment and put the sword away. Closed the trunk and got in the front-passenger. They took the woman back to the city with them and dropped her off at a hospital. An hour later sat in his hotel room, Dean asked him "So, what'd you think of your first hunt ?."

"It was fun in a weird way. Weirder even than Smith's behaviour."

Dean smiled "Don't worry about him, he's always indifferent or hate's being around you and me. He really seems to or did hate you, he did kill you after all."

Neo shrugged it off "O.k. Dean, enough about Smith,", he continued on excitedly, "When's our next hunt ?"

"We can look around for another one tomorrow."

He smiled back at Dean. This was going to be great, even if he never told Dean he'd still be with him. How odd that it had only been possible because of Smith.


End file.
